


echoing blasts

by caydiink (gayleb)



Series: Dream and the various parental figures he manages to collect [4]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Clay | Dream & Technoblade Friendship (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream Angst (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream and Toby Smith | Tubbo are Siblings, Clay | Dream-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Father-Son Relationship, Graphic Description, Guilt, Loss of Limbs, Major Character Injury, Not Beta Read, This one do be kinda sad doe, Violence, we stan philza in this house!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:48:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28530207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayleb/pseuds/caydiink
Summary: Dream watched the festival from the roof, his legs dangling off the side, his form hidden in the shadows as he watched everyone.It had gone well so far. There was a general air of unease (but when wasn’t there?) but aside from that, people seemed to be having a decent time.AKA: Dream gets shot at the festival instead of Tubbo, and he suffers a greater loss than just one of his lives. Techno panics, and Philza helps both of them
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Technoblade & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: Dream and the various parental figures he manages to collect [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2070822
Comments: 34
Kudos: 1144





	echoing blasts

**Author's Note:**

> nae said the last fic wasn't too angsty, so I immediately started writing this :) <33 kisses
> 
> but i really like this concept so i think i'm gonna turn this into a series of its own, or a multichaptered fic, so look out 4 that ;)
> 
> TW: Loss of limb, graphic depictions of violence, someone throwing up

Dream watched the festival from the roof, his legs dangling off the side, his form hidden in the shadows as he watched everyone.

It had gone well so far. There was a general air of unease (but when wasn’t there?) but aside from that, people seemed to be having a decent time.

He smiled as he watched Techno in the dunk tank, taunting Fundy while encased in water, a smug grin visible even from his distance.

Dream watched everyone from up above, unnoticed and ignored, as he had hoped.

He hadn’t planned on intervening. It wasn’t his place. L’Manberg was its own country now, if they wanted to elect Schlatt as the president, Dream was in no position to stop them.

_They didn’t want to though_ his mind whispered to him, _Schlatt lied his way to the top, and now they must all bear the consequences of something they never chose._

But it wasn’t Dream’s place to intervene.

He was just here to- well.

He wasn’t quite sure why he was here.

L’Manberg didn’t need him to rule, and they certainly didn’t need him to _supervise,_ so why was dream here?

He thought about it, his chin resting in his hands as his legs kicked back and forth, bumping into the rough stone wall behind them.

Then movement caught his eye, and he looked toward the stage.

And there was his answer.

Tubbo walked across the stage, his hair slicked back and horns on display _(god he looked so much like the bastard it scared Dream. What had Schlatt done to him, what had he said what did he do when did it get so wrong?)_ as he began to inspect the mic, making sure everything was ready for their president’s speech.

Dream had been worried sick ever since he heard Tubbo was Schlatt’s right hand man. Dream knew what that man was capable of, and none of it was good. The stories alone were enough to make him wary, the pit in his stomach only growing with each thing Schlatt did.

Dream was here to watch over Tubbo. He knew how Schlatt operated, and none of it bode well for the teen.

_(Especially not as a double agent. Dream watched Tubbo traversing to pogtopia, wanting nothing more than to take the burden of everything from him, to take the weight from his shoulders and let him rest._

_But he was a villain, he was like Schlatt, he wasn’t to be trusted._

_So instead he would do what he could. A stray arrow to take out the unseen zombie stalking the unsuspecting teen, a small distraction to keep Schlatt or Quackity from noticing him sneaking back into the whitehouse, returning from a meeting with Wilbur._

_Dream did what he always did. He helped as best as he could, watching his brother’s back from the shadows. Keeping him safe._

_It was all he could do.)_

He kept his eyes trained on Tubbo as he worked, one of his hands gripping the handle of his axe as he watched, ready to act at a moments notice.

Eventually, once everything was set up, people were called to the audience. The seats filled quickly, the unease coming back twice as strong as everyone sat in silence, waiting for the president to appear.

It felt like prey sitting in open water, waiting for someone, _something,_ to come from the depths below and swallow them whole.

It made Dream nervous. He fidgeted with the hem of his hoodie as he waited, nerves quickly building the longer the silence rang.

And then there was Schlatt, standing in front of the podium as if it was what he was born to do.

And maybe it was. It fit him so fucking naturally, the predatory gaze and the cunning words. Sharp jabs aimed to cut deeply, but spoken through honeyed half truths and the confidence of a man who knows what he’s doing.

Schlatt was standing at the podium and he was speaking, everyone else dead silent.

Dream didn’t particularly care what Schlatt had to say, he could drive the country into the fucking ground for all he cared. Dream was focused on Tubbo.

He was standing up straight, his chin up and face forward, hands held firm behind his back. It was perfect posture, not a hair out of place.

_(It was like a soldier, ready to fight and kill and die and survive and all the things a sixteen year old shouldn’t be doing. When had the world Dream created turned these kids into fighter?._

_When had they stopped treating them as kids and more like tools? When had everything gone to shit?)_

Dream pulled his eyes away from the stage for a second, scanning the area around the stage for any threats that could be brewing. That was his downfall.

_(God this city had gone to shit. It used to look inviting, plants growing everywhere, life thriving, things growing and creating and living and becoming and so many things all at once all in this small country they formed themselves from the ground up._

_Now it was paved over, paths replacing what used to be gardens, the life seemingly sucked out of the very ground itself._

_If Dream focused hard enough, he could feel it, the part of his land slowly dying, being killed by the very people meant to help it thrive._

_It hurt, watching something he had fought hard to protect, whether under his command or Wilbur’s, wilting before his eyes._

_And he was powerless to stop it.)_

He looked back at the stage and froze, his heartbeat loud in his ears.

Tubbo was trapped, Tubbo was in danger, Tubbo was scared and encaged and oh god what the fuck he looked away for a second when had this happened what the fuck is Schlatt doing what-

Techno made his way to the stage, and Dream could only watch, eyes wide and breathing laboured, stuck on that rooftop as his brother was stuck on that stage.

He couldn’t hear what was being said over the sound of his own heart beating, but Dream got the gist of it when Techno pulled out his crossbow, levelling it at Tubbo’s chest.

Dream saw Techno close his eyes, acceptance clear on his face.

Dream saw Tubbo’s eyes widen as death stared down at him, it’s cold grasp reaching out ready to claim the teen long before his time.

Dream saw as Techno prepared to pull the trigger, arm steady, aim never wavering.

Dream saw Schlatt goad Techno on, telling him to _fucking do it_ and to _kill the traitor god dammit._

Dream saw his enderpearl fly through the air, hitting the stage in front of Tubbo.

Dream saw Techno in front of him, eyes wide as he pulls the trigger.

Dream see’s his arm come up in a vain attempt to shield his face, the rest of his body shielding his brother.

Dream see’s nothing but light, fireworks ringing in the air as he’s struck, his vision a blinding white.

God, it fucking _hurts._

He’s not sure if the ringing in his ears is from the fireworks or the audience screaming or his own heartbeat, but it’s so loud and Dream can’t think past it.

He crumples to the ground, pain wracking through his body, and he curls up on his knees, protecting his body as best as he can.

Smoke fills the air as people shout. They’re surprised by his appearance, surprised by the shot, surprised by Schlatt attmpting to _murder Tubbo._

Dream manages to turn his head despite how much it hurts to think, and he sees Tubbo, eyes wide, face covered in blood but not his own, and he’s safe, uninjured, Dream protected him and that’s all that matters.

Then he looks down at his arm where the rocket hits, and he nearly vomits.

His arm is _ruined._

It’s barely attached to him at this point, strips of flesh and muscle desperatly clinging to the limb, blood covering every inch of his skin, his clothes dyed a deep, dark red, warm and wet against him.

Dream can’t speak, there’s nothing to say. He’s just staring at his arm.

The bone has splintered and is poking through the skin in various places, and Dream thinks _oh god it’s broken, that’s gonna be a bitch to heal,_ and then he remembers _I’m not gonna have to heal it because it’s not fucking attached to me anymore._

Dream’s world goes blank as he stares at his arm, limp in his lap, and al he can think about is how jesus christ that was almost Tubbo.

But instead it was his arm, and it’s fucking gone and Techno fucking shot him and jesus christ what does he do he hasn’t prepared for this what the fuck does he do-

Someone touches his shoulder and Dream screams.

It’s filled with agony, and fear, and anger, and everything he’s just lost, and Dream can feel tears falling down his face as he yells, but his eyes are fixed on what used to be his arm and he can’t look away.

“Jesus christ is that his fucking _arm?_ ” someone says, it might be Quackity, but Dream really can’t tell.

He hears someone throw up, and it only brings back his own nausea ten fold.

“Dream, hey Dream, you need to- shit- you need to listen to me, okay? I’m gonna, fuck- I’m, I just need to take your mask off, okay? Can you nod for me?”

Dream doesn’t know who asks, but he doesn’t care because his fucking arm is gone and there’s so much blood and he thinks he hears someone helping Tubbo out behind him but he can’t turn his head to look because everything hurts and he can’t move because he’s frozen on that rooftop watching his brother caged and helpless and he just nods, hoping whoever is speaking can just help him please dear lord.

The mask is removed, and Dream can feel the wind on his face, tears still streaming down his cheeks, blood splattered across his cheeks from where it had flown under the mask.

His hair was covered in gore, his chest red with his own blood, chunks of flesh and bone and muscle stuck in his hair and on his clothes and everywhere it shouldn’t be.

Dream shifts slightly, and his arm moves in his lap, and that’s the final straw.

Dream turns to the side and vomits, the person standing next to him letting out a cry of surprise, backing up quickly.

He heaves, what little food he had eaten being ejected onto the stage now red with his blood, pooling beneath him, and he keeps coughing until there’s nothing left to throw up.

He’s so empty there’s so much of him gone that he’ll never get back, spread across the very stage he sat on, surrounding him but never his.

Dream looks up at Techno who’s crouched in front of him, hands outstretched to help but not touching, unsure of what he could even do, his eyes wide in fear, and Dream smiles even though it hurts just to do that, and he lets out a weak laugh.

“I don’t think a healing potion’s gonna fix this.”

Techno just stares at him, tears gathering in the corner of his eyes, and god he looks so scared and so unsure, and Dream wants to tell him it’s okay, he doesn’t blame him, he understands. He wants to give him a hug but he can’t fucking do that because he doesn’t have an arm and-

Dream heaves again, nothing coming out but his body still protests, leaving him choking on air and blood and the silence as everyone just stares, unsure of what to do.

“We need to get healing potions and-” someone starts.

“What the fuck is a potion gonna do? His whole goddamn arm was blown off, that’s not something you can just fix with a potion!” someone else interrupted.

“Yeah well arguing isn’t gonna help either! We need to do something before he dies of blood loss, so just shut the _fuck up or I swear to god I’ll-”_

“I can take him somewhere,” Techno says, everyone falling silent as the man spoke up, his eyes still trained on Dream’s arm in his lap.

Dream realises that Techno is kneeling in his blood, the liquid coating his pants and his hands and his cape and Dream feels bad, because Techno shouldn’t have to do that, he shouldn’t have to cover himself in his blood, it looks wrong. 

It terrifies Dream if he’s being honest.

His chest fucking hurts and dream can feel the burns beneath his clothes, the way his chest feels as if it’s burning from the inside out, each brush of cloth against in bringing tears to his eyes, every slight shift or movement fling his vision with white as he tries not to vomit again, choking on the blood in his throat.

“Does he have time to be ‘taken somewhere’ Techno?” someone asks, and Dream is almost certain it’s Eret, their voice deep and calming and Dream relaxes slightly, until the pain comes back and Dream is tensing up again.

“No one here is trained in medicine,” Techno spits, voice hard and face angry, his eyes focused on his own two hands, “I know someone who can help him, the way we can’t. I know that I-”

Techno chokes, mouth snapping shut and eyes softening as he looks back at Dream. he swallows, taking a breath before continuing, “I know that you don’t have a lot of reason to trust me right now, but please, I just- I want him to be okay.”

Techno turned to look at the group behind him, more vulnerable than anyone had ever seen him, eyes bright with unshed tears, “I just want to help him.”

No one spoke, all looking at each other to make the call, before finally Eret sighed, clapping the hybrid on the shoulder and nodding, “keep him safe.”

That was all Techno needed to hear before he was scooping Dream up, the arm resting in his lap as Techno carries him bridal style, blood trailing behind them as he ran, heart pounding and breathing heavy with the effort.

Dream squeezed his eyes shut, screaming as he was picked up, the pain stealing the breath from his chest until he was left with his throat raw, blood dripping from his lips, mouth open in a silent scream, his voice taken from him just as suddenly as his arm.

Dream passed out to the sound of Techno breathing heavily, and the feeling of tears landing on his face, making their way through the carnage covering his face.

* * *

Philza had been preparing to make dinner, the cabin warm from the fire he had set in the fireplace, casting a soft orange glow on the room around it.

He had pulled all of the ingredients out for the stew, getting ready to start cutting them up, when he heard a frantic pounding on his door.

“Just a minute!” he called, setting his knife down and wiping his hands as he made his way to the door, his brow furrowing as the knocking only grew louder.

He pulled open the door, unsure who would be visiting him at this time of night.

“Hello, can I help you with-” Phil said, but cut off when Techno shoved past him, drenched in blood and carrying someone in his arms.

“Phil please, I didn’t know what to do and I had nowhere else to go and you know this shit, and please Phil, dad please help him you have to he’s gonna die please dad-” Techno said, his breathing laboured and eyes wild, clutching the person closer to his chest.

“Techno, you need to calm down,” Phil said, closing the door and rushing to his son, looking at the person he was holding.

To say it looked bad was an understatement.

“Okay Techno,” Phil said, eyes searching the body for the most important injuries, thinking about everything he would need to help them, “you need to tell me what happened, okay? No one’s gonna be mad, I just need to know what I’m working with.”

Techno nodded, his body trembling as he spoke, but never wavering, the body held tightly in his arms, “there was this festival, and I didn’t wanna go but I had to to help Wilbur and Tommy, and it was going fine but then Schlatt called me on stage and told me to kill Tubbo, and I agreed but then suddenly Dream was in front of me and it was too late to stop and-”

Dream? 

Philza looked at the body in Techno’s arms, and beneath the blood he could see the man’s blond hair, the lime green of his signature hoodie peeking out beneath the blood, barely visible beneath all the red.

He had never seen the man without his mask. Without he, he looked so small, so vulnerable.

So human.

Phil nodded, reaching out to take Dream from Techno, rubbing his arm gently as he looked his son in the eyes, “you did good kid, okay? You did your best, and because of you Dream is gonna pull through, alright?”

Techno didn’t say anything, just looked at Phil, dried tear tracks visible on his face, and nodded. Phil gave him the most comforting smile he could manage, before looking back down at the body in his arms.

“Alright Techno, help me lay him out on the floor, after that, you’re gonna go and grab me the medkit from the bathroom, along with a cloth and some warm water. Can you do that” Phil said, his voice soft but left no room for argument.

Techno nodded again, helping Phil gently set Dream down, careful not to jostle him too much, before turning on his heel and running up the stairs, his boots loud against the wooden floors as he scrambled to get everything Phil had asked for.

The man knelt down next to Dream, his hand running through his hair, pulling out as much gore as he could as his other hand pulled out his knife.

The blade glinted in the light of the fireplace, the once warm glow now overbearing, sweat pooling on Phil’s brow.

He ignored his discomfort and quickly reached out for Dream’s arm, surveying the damage.

It didn’t take him long to reach his conclusion. The arm had to go, there was no salvaging it.

He cut through what kept the arm connected to his torso, knife easily gliding through the skin, closing his eyes as he removed the younger’s limb, regret heavy in his heart.

No one should have to go through this, let alone someone so young.

And god did Dream look young, face open and exposed, eyes shut in pain even as he slept, unable to escape from it anywhere he hid.

Phil had never felt so tired. He looked down at Dream, and saw everything he had fought tooth and nail to become, ripped away from him in a single moment, his future torn down in front of him.

It didn’t mean he couldn’t rebuild it though. Better, and stronger than it had been before. Phil would stick with the kid every step of the way if he wanted.

He wasn’t gonna leave either of the men who needed him the most right now, no matter how long it took.

Phil heard Techno run back down the stairs before kneeling across from him, placing the kit beside Phil as he passed, taking the water and cloth to his side, pulling at the cloth in his hands nervously as he looked down at Dream.

“He’s gonna be okay, right?” Techno asked, avoiding Phil’s eyes as he stared at the blond’s unmoving face.

“He will,” Phil said, determination set in his face.

He took a deep breath, placing the knife down beside him, before grabbing Dream’s now fully detached arm, placing it on the floor next to him.

Techno’s eyes followed the limb as Phil moved it, never speaking, but guilt evident on his face, his shoulders sagging.

Phil would deal with that later, he had another kid to help now.

He cut Dream’s hoodie away, pulling the charred remains off of his skin, wincing in sympathy as the cloth tugged on the burned skin, blood pooling on his chest as the clothing was removed.

Dream let out a whine, head shifting in his sleep, and Phil ran a hand through his hair, whispering to him as he calmed the man down.

Once Dream had calmed down and fallen silent, Phil instructed Techno to start washing the blood off of Dream as he prepared the bandages, covering them in a salve to help with the burns.

They worked in silence, attention focused solely on the task at hand, working easily together as they patched Dream up.

Techno paused as he watched Phil bandage Dream’s chest, covering up the bloody stump that Dream’s shoulder had become, hiding the carnage from sight.

Once it was done and Dream had been completely bandaged, hiding what had happened hidden beneath white strips, the only evidence of the carnage that had taken place was the severed arm now resting on Phil’s floor.

Techno slumped where he sat, and Phil looked at him with pity and concern, his heart breaking at the sight of his son so small and vulnerable.

“Go upstairs Techno,” Phil said, his voice calm and as even as it could be, “clean up and get changed, we can talk more in the morning, alright?”

Techno nodded numbly, his eyes staring straight ahead, standing up in a haze as he made his way to the stairs.

Phil grabbed his wrist as he passed, and only spoke when Techno turned to him, their eyes meeting. 

“I love you, yeah?” he said, eyes locked with Techno’s as he gently squeezed his wrist, “you did good, and we can get through this together. I’ve got you, both of you.”

Techno’s shoulders slumped and his eyes shut, he nodded, and squeezed Phil’s hand in return, acknowledging what he had said.

Phil let him go, focusing his attention back on Dream. Once he heard the shower upstairs turn on, did Phil reach over and grab the bowl of water now tinted red with Dream’s blood.

He stood up and replaced the water, his own tired reflection staring up at him as he carefully dipped the towel in the fresh water, wiping away the remaining blood from Dream’s skin.

Once he was clean, Phil gently picked him up, cradling him close to his chest as he made his way up the stairs, opening the door to the spare room he had, unused for years.

Phil gently set Dream down, pulling the blanket over him, brushing his hair back and placing a kiss on his forehead. He looked at the man, the pain still evident on his face, low whines escaping him every now and then, and made up his mind.

He grabbed a chair from the desk in the room, brushing the layer of dust off of it before setting it down next to Dream.

Phil sat down carefully, his back groaning as he lowered himself into the seat. He just crossed his legs, and grabbed Dream’s hand, smiling as he watched the lines of pain etched onto Dream’s face slowly lessen.

Phil just hummed softly, the silence of the night calming as he sat there, the only other sound was Techno moving around a few rooms over.

Eventually the door cracked open, and Techno poked his head in, hair still damp from his shower, but face clean of blood, donning fresh clothes.

Neither one spoke, but Phil gave him an encouraging smile, which was all Techno needed.

He made his way into the room and sat on the floor next to Phil, leaning his head on his lap as his eyes shut.

Phil ran his free hand through Techno’s hair, comforting him as best as he could.

It was decided, in that moment, watching the soft rise and fall of the two kids’ chests as they slept, that Phil would do anything to see them whole again.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry not sorry <333 rip 2 dream's arm but i'm different
> 
> i don't really like how i wrote the last bit, but whatever, it isn't the worst thing i've written
> 
> i do plan to continue this in the future!! idk when, but eventually agfdfhjdffghjg
> 
> thank you so much for reading and i hope u enjoyed it tho! the next person for this series is probably gonna be bad or sam which i'm looking forward to!!
> 
> if you liked this pls consider leaving a comment/kudos bc i love seeing them all and they feed me motivation
> 
> if ur interested you can find me on insta @caydiink
> 
> thank u sm for reading!! <33


End file.
